On Thursday, July 12, 2018 at Anew Rooftop in St. Louis, Missouri, ArchCity Defenders held their 2nd Annual Excellence in Poverty Journalism Awards to recognize and honor journalists who contributed in-depth reporting on poverty, race and class. In May, ArchCity invited the community to nominate reporters for pieces dedicated to issues which impact marginalized communities.
“Our advocacy really centers around trying to tell the story of what it means to experience and survive poverty every day, and how our legal system makes it more difficult for people who are in that situation,” Executive Director of ArchCity Defenders Blake Strode said.
“For us the idea of telling the truth, telling stories about people who are surviving poverty and how our community has driven that poverty and continues to exacerbate it every day, that really is critical to the mission of ArchCity Defenders, and without that storytelling we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”
Journalists and contributors from nearly 30 local media outlets were nominated reviewed and selected winners in three categories of Advocacy, Audio/Visual, and Digital/Print categories. A panel of three judges comprised of John Amman, Nancy Cambria, and Mariah Stewart who chose winners from The St. Louis American, St. Louis Public Radio, Belleville News-Democrat, Webster Journal, and the Riverfront Times.
ArchCity Defenders concluded the Awards by presenting Dr. Donald Suggs, Publisher and Executive Editor of The St. Louis American, with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Poverty Journalism Excellence for his commitment to publishing stories that raise critical awareness in the St. Louis region.
“I accept this award unequivocally on behalf of our colleagues at the St. Louis American, especially our journalists who choose to toil at a community newspaper, at modest wages and perform multiple, often thankless, sometimes, dangerous tasks,” Suggs said.
Throughout the event, ArchCity Defenders encouraged attendees to come together and rethink the way stories are written about the endemic issues that affect families all around St. Louis. Featuring a “What Stories Need to Be Told?” board, attendees contributed story ideas such as the impact of payday lending on stress, over-investment in policing and jailing, and profiles of people who are targeted by the criminal legal system.
“I am a strong believer that journalism has the power to expose injustice,” said Rebecca Gorley, ArchCity Defenders communications director.
“It has the power to raise and create awareness, and also the power to shape public opinion and guide public action. I would love for everyone to feel like they have a role in this event, and also moving forward after tonight. Additionally, my hope is that editors and outlets and journalist across the board know how important their work is.”
In St. Louis City, one in three people live in poverty; however, less than 1% of media coverage discusses poverty. Their stories are underreported and too often, not framed within a systemic context. As a result, the misperception of poverty as a personal failing continues to misshape public opinion and misguide public policy decisions.
“I could not be more thrilled at the support we have received for tonight’s event,” Gorley said. “What we know is that coverage on poverty specifically is rare, and the extent of which one in three people live in poverty in St. Louis this is an area that we need more coverage on. We’re really thrilled tonight to honor and recognize local reporters and contributors for their hard work and together we hope to inspire and encourage more of these critical stories to be written.”
ArchCity Defenders is a nonprofit providing free holistic legal service on behalf of the poor and communities of color directly impacted by the abuses of the legal system. Since 2009, ArchCity Defenders has represented over 3,600 people, resolved over 10,000 legal matters, filed 30 civil rights lawsuits, and secured $8 million in judgments awarded and $4 million in debts forgiven.
“Nelson Mandela advises us in his inaugural address as president of South Africa, ‘The time to build is upon us. So, it is now. That’s the only way to head off a moral race to the bottom,’” Suggs said.
For more information on ArchCity Defenders and the work that they do you can visit their website at www.archcitydefenders.org or call them at 855-724-2489 or email them at mail@archcitydefenders.org.
Ashley Jones is an Emma Bowen Foundation editorial intern at The St. Louis American, supported by a grant from the Democracy Fund.
